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For so long, the amusing story of his bar entry was an urban legend, told variously as occurring at a uni frat party, a house party or a strip club, depending on which corner of the internet you visit.

And the man, inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame last year, had always denied it ever happened.

That was until former Georgetown teammate - and another NBA power centre - Alonzo Mourning tipped him in.

"Yep, there's some truth to that, there's some truth to that," Mourning said when asked about it on ESPN's Highly Questionable last year.

"That was his pick up line ... And it worked!"

Mutombo was and is so much more than a defensive specialist on the court who was second all-time blocks in NBA history across 18 seasons with Denver, Atlanta, Philadelphia, New Jersey, New York and Houston.